Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 78: The Inevitable Departure

Daisuke and Timartha exchanged smiles, their eyes capturing the heartfelt reconciliation between Milo and Rexar in the distance. With a subtle grace, Timartha lifted her gaze, following the path of the staff she held aloft in her hand.

"Now, if only this staff could weave a tangible barrier... shielding the village from the outside world. It would allow me to safeguard the people and preserve the bonds they've forged."

Suddenly, without warning, Daisuke flicked her forehead. Timartha cried out in pain, dropping her cherished staff to the ground as she clutched her steaming forehead with both hands.

"Y-You brute!" she hissed. "How could you do such a thing to a decrepit old woman! Don't you have a heart?"

Ignoring her protest with a wan smile, Daisuke turned to lean against the wooden fence again. Then his eyes softened. "...The earliest memories of my life are of the dark, rundown hut that I lived in with my mother. I can still recall every detail: the bats in the roof, the standing mirror against the stained old bathtub, the lopsided table with the single candle we had to use conservatively, and the curtain that separated the front and bedroom door from the dining room and kitchen."

Timartha lowered her arms, listening attentively.

"Like you, my mother was very overprotective... but now that I think about it, it really was just a nice way to say that she was a coward. I spent many years in isolation due to the fear she instilled in me—no, I was genuinely afraid of the unknowns of the world. That negativity left me without drive or direction.

But when circumstances finally forced me to step out into the world, I immediately understood what I needed to do. I learned the harsh reality that, without power and influence, life would be a living hell."

Daisuke turned, his gaze locking with the elder's. "If I hadn't found the courage to embark on this path, I wouldn't have met Elena and the others—meaning the village would still likely be bracing for another invasion."

Timartha's lips pressed into a line as she pondered his words.

"When we were trapped inside the dungeon, instead of just guiding those three out, I chose to make them stronger instead. Based on my own experiences, I knew they were bound to face more adversities, and I wouldn't always be there to save them.

My dad used to say, 'If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.'"

Daisuke gestured at the staff as Timartha reached down to retrieve it. "This thing merely conceals the village from prying eyes, which isn't very effective against the demon's keen sense of smell. It's not impossible for the village to be attacked again—and in the event that it ever is, everyone needs to build up their strength.

Running away," he shifted his gaze to Sylvia who had just arrived on the scene, "and hiding," he reverted his gaze back to the elder, "aren't the true paths to peace and happiness in this world. I know it's harsh, but it's imperative that Elmridge gathers the strength to drive away its enemies."

***

The next day at noon, the entire village assembled at the front gates, a collective grogginess lingering from the festivities that stretched well into the wee hours of the morning.

Some who were gathered had sagging ears and bushy tails—a visible sign of sleep-deprivation. At the forefront stood the village's key figures, their bittersweet gazes expressing gratitude for Daisuke's deeds yet tinged with sadness for his impending departure.

April, the only one seemingly unaware of the gathering's somber undertone, stood amidst the crowd. Her wide-eyed innocence contrasted with the bittersweet gazes around her. She looked from left to right, her hair swaying with each curious movement, unable to comprehend the weight of the moment.